EVENTS

Protests against NSA surveillance on October 26

Cory Doctorow writes that a coalition of groups under the name of Stop Watching Us are organizing a mass rally and protest in Washington DC to protest the NSA’s massive spying programs.]

Over half a million people have already signed a petition that will be delivered to Congress. You can read the petition and sign it here.

Meanwhile, four US senators (Ron Wyden, Mark Udall, Richard Blumenthal and Rand Paul) who have been concerned about NSA overreach have joined together to propose legislation to reform the NSA’s surveillance programs. Techdirt says that the reforms are quite meaningful.

UPDATE: Here is senator Wyden’s opening remarks and questions at yesterday’s Senate hearing at which NSA director Keith Alexander testified. He was pretty good but Alexander sounded evasive so he probably parsing words to avoid telling the truth, the way that the NSA routinely does.

Comments

Dr. Singham, do you follow Marcy Wheeler at her Empty Wheel blog? She is brilliant in analyzing these hearings and any past statements made by those that are there. She really painted a perfect picture of what a joke this hearing was.

I’ve also learned to treat the answer to any questions asked by Senator Wyden as “yes,” especially when they refuse to answer them.